Crunch, crunch, crunch...
What is shaking?
Yamato slowly opened his eyes.
His vision gradually became clear, and he saw a beautiful face under the dim yellow light.
When he clearly felt the distance between the two at this time, he was completely awake at once.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
Wow la la...
With the sound of the chains, Yamato realized that his limbs were tightly locked by the thick chains, and something was stuffed in his mouth.
"You're awake?"
The girl on top of him leaned down, her slender and tender hands gently stroked Yamato's face: "You finally woke up~"
Looking closely, Yamato's eyes widened; the beautiful girl's face was a little... morbidly crazy.
"Woooooooo..."
Yamato struggled, but found that his strength could not be exerted at all. He was drugged?
"Don't move." The girl patted Yamato's face lightly: "It's all because of you that you're like this..."
"Woooooooo..."
"Do you want to talk?" The girl's smile made Yamato feel a tremor run through his body.
She gently pulled out the cloth stuffed in Yamato's mouth.
"Sayaka...what do you want to do?" Yamato was stern, he was really afraid of the current Beihara Sayaka.
"What do I want to do? Shouldn't I ask why you did this to me?"
"I..." Yamato's tone faltered, unable to say anything.
"Look..." Sayaka pointed to the left. Yamato turned his head, and his pupils shrank instantly.
"Huhuhu..."
A violent gasp escaped Yamato's throat. He clenched his hands tightly, and there was blood in his eyes.
By the wall, several girls were bound and blindfolded, unable to hear or see anything.
"Oh, are you angry?"
Sayaka's fingers swept past Yamato's lips and then to her own: "Why are you angry? You caused them to be like this."
"Why?" Yamato stared at Beihara Sayaka.
"Why?" Sayaka's expression changed, and she looked manic: "Why? You still have the nerve to ask me why?!"
Anger made her body tremble even more, and Yamato's face became abnormally flushed.
"Oh, you are really a pervert."
At some point, a rusty hatchet appeared in Sayaka's hand.
"Sayaka, you're... cold... calm..."
Pfft!
A sharp pain came from his left side, and blood began to spread.
"Yamato!!" Sayaka's expression at this moment was all too familiar to him, one he'd only ever seen on a completely crazed person.
"Why? Why did you betray me? Why were you with them behind my back?!"
She twisted the hatchet.
"I was here first, I obviously like you so much, I can do anything for you, so why did you betray me!?"
The hatchet was drawn out.
A violent blush appeared on her pale, beautiful face.
"Yamato... darling... I'm your girlfriend, I love you, I love you so much... ah~"
She hugged him tightly, but in the next second, she straightened up again and stabbed him on his right side.
"Because I'm your girlfriend." Beihara Sayaka smiled strangely: "I don't allow other girls to like you; I want to erase them all."
Yamato only felt pain, breathing heavily as his vision blurred.
"No one can make you happy but me, darling~"
She bent down again, her smooth, sticky face pressed against his: "Darling... you can die now..."
His heart...
It hurt...
"This way, you can't recover..."
Bang bang.
The hatchet fell to the floor, and Beihara Sayaka looked at Yamato, who had lost all life, hugging him tightly...
"Darling, this way you can't leave. You'll stay with me... forever, right?"
On her face, the gentleness of the past reappeared.
At Yamato's chest, a pure white light flickered and faded.
Backtracking...
Yamato opened his eyes.
The white ceiling came into view, and the midday sun was just right.
A cicada hummed loudly; autumn had come, and it was announcing its upcoming exit.
Looking at the clock on the wall, Yamato sighed.
Half a year ago.
He had gone back in time, back to three days before enrollment.
"Darling, are you awake?"
A voice he could never mistake sounded, and Yamato froze, turning to look at the girl who had just emerged from the bathroom, drying her long black hair.
Beihara Sayaka...
The one who would bring him to the "hatchet ending."
She was only wearing a white shirt, her clean, white and tender legs exposed to the air, and the shadows under the shirt were tempting, but this time, Yamato had no intention of admiring her.
In retrospect, everything started from this moment.
Sayaka, who lured him in with a shirt, and Yamato, who couldn't resist the temptation, officially started their relationship.
And then, after school started, Yamato tried to juggle multiple relationships, leading Sayaka into an abyss of jealousy.
In the end... the hatchet ending.
If there was no relationship with her, it wouldn't have gone down this path.
If there was no clear relationship, he could have enjoyed life without fearing the "hatchet ending."
Thankfully, there really was a second chance.
Determined to avoid that ending again, Yamato had already thought of a new approach.
"Finished washing?"
"Yeah." Sayaka walked towards him, the fragrance of shampoo and soap filling the air.
"I didn't want to disturb you while you were sleeping, so I bathed first." Beihara Sayaka smiled gently, like a soft hibiscus flower.
She raised her hands to dry her hair, and the shirt lifted just a bit, revealing her thighs.
She did it on purpose.
Though she appeared calm, she was inwardly nervous.
She feared that her plan might fail.
After waiting two months for Yamato to make the first move, she decided to take action herself.
She'd made her plans perfectly, wanting to be sure he couldn't resist.
She'd already heard Yamato's slightly heavier breathing, and her heart raced.
He stood up...
He walked toward her...
Hmph, he couldn't resist at all.
Sayaka narrowed her eyes slightly, her hands drying her hair slowing to a stop.
Suddenly, her body trembled, feeling Yamato's hands rest on her shoulders.
Finally...
She closed her eyes.
"The summer heat has passed, and it's getting colder. You're wearing so little. Aren't you worried you'll catch a cold? Hurry back and put on some clothes."
...?
Beihara Sayaka opened her eyes, her beautiful purple eyes full of confusion.
Wrong script?
Shouldn't Yamato be giving in to temptation by now?
She was so certain of it; after all, she was...
"Darling..."
"What are you talking about? Come on, go change. You're an adult now; you should know better. Even if it's noon, you might catch a cold!"
Sayaka was turned around to face the bedroom, unable to see Yamato.
"Hurry up!" Yamato pushed her gently toward the bedroom.
Click!
The door closed.
Sayaka stood there, dazed, looking at herself in the full-length mirror. Was it possible?
Or... did she lack any charm?
"Idiot!" Beihara Sayaka stomped her foot, gritting her teeth.
"Hah..."
Yamato sat back on the sofa, exhaling a long breath: "That ending... terrible, I don't want to go through it again."
"I still want to live a peaceful life."
"For the sake of a beautiful, happy future, I'll be a calm, gentle guy this time."
Not too close, but not too distant.
This way, no one could claim him, and he'd stay safe.
"A bit of jealousy is fine, as long as it doesn't lead to a hatchet ending."
"In the end, it was Sayaka, who I thought was the least likely to turn crazy, that went full-on yandere. Truly unexpected."
"Darling, I'm sorry, but for my happiness, I have to stay distant this time."
Click!
The bedroom door opened, and Yamato sat up straight: "Did you dress warmly? It's important to stay healthy after a shower; don't catch a cold."
"Shut up!" Beihara Sayaka shot him an annoyed glare, clearly in a bad mood.
Just as things were heating up, he left her out in the cold. She felt annoyed and frustrated.
"Uh..." Yamato quickly quieted down, not wanting to trigger her wrath. He realized she wasn't wearing pajamas but rather a casual gray outfit.
Sayaka was beautiful, her charm undiminished by any outfit.
Her beautiful face, her purple gemstone-like eyes, her bare lips and soft brows. A small beauty mark by her left eye added a delicate touch of sadness.
An absolutely captivating beauty.
And yet, her gaze was icy.
Despite having seen every side of her, Yamato couldn't help but be drawn to her.
He obviously had an amazing girlfriend, yet he'd wandered off.
Perhaps the familiar felt too easy compared to new pursuits...
No... he was a scoundrel.
Yamato scratched his head and looked away: "Are you heading out?"
"To school!"
"What about lunch?"
"I'll handle it myself!" Beihara Sayaka shot him a glare. "And by the way, I won't be back tonight, so if you're hungry, go ahead and starve, or order takeout if you want!"
"I don't have any money," Yamato admitted, as if oblivious to her growing irritation.
"You!" Sayaka's chest rose and fell in frustration as she glared at him. "If you don't have money, drink water for all I care!"
With that, there was a rush of footsteps and the door slammed shut.
Finally alone, Yamato relaxed completely.
This round was over.
She could be angry all she wanted; it was still better than her becoming unstable.
"I'd rather deal with a bit of jealousy than the craziness of a hatchet ending any day."
He leaned back into the couch, mentally reviewing his new plan. To preserve his sanity and his life, he had to maintain a careful balance: not too close and not too distant.
He sighed, glancing at the clock. "It's like dealing with a hurricane..."
"But if I'm careful, maybe this time I can have some peace."
A slight smile formed as he realized the challenge ahead, but for his future, he knew he had to stick to the plan.